title: Community experience of a Pacific Immersion Programme for medical students in New Zealand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain the views of the Pacific community about their involvement in a Pacific Immersion Programme, to determine the programme's viability as a resource for medical education.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Pacific Immersion Programme run by the Dunedin School of Medicine had four attachments (March, April, June and September) with local Pacific communities in 2011. Community focus groups were held the week immediately after each attachment. There were two focus group sessions for each attachment, one obtained the views of adults and the other of young people. Focus groups consisted of eight participants recruited through community coordinators and were facilitated by trained research assistants. Sessions were audio recorded and analysed using a thematic framework.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-four members of the community participated in the focus groups. Eight themes emerged from the discussions. The community agreed the Pacific Immersion Programme strengthened community cohesion through efforts to engage the students. There was shared learning and created opportunities for engagement between medical students and the community's younger generation. The Pacific families shared with the students about their health and context through storytelling, dancing and singing and cultural ceremonies. Participants hoped students achieved what they wanted from the programme and the experience was useful for their work in the future.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community based medical education is a unique and useful approach for teaching medical students about the health of a minority community. The purpose of the paper is to highlight the impacts on participating communities. Nurturing established relationships and providing mutual benefits for both partners will ensure this opportunity will be available as a learning resource for future medical students.
authors.affiliation: Department Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin. PO Box 913, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Melbourne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauiliu
authors.forename: Faafetai
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sopoaga
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekeroma
mesh_terms: D054521:Cultural Competency / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D054525:Minority Health / Q000193:education*; D009520:New Zealand; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation